Originally Posted by UniChris

It's not a straw man argument at all, it's quite critical to safety.

Sidewalks etc are simply not designed for cycling speed movement.



Cycling is indeed not the only sort of dangerous was to move from a sidewalk into the path of traffic - rollerblades, running, etc will work, too.

In actuality most states explicitly prohibit a pedestrian from leaving a place of safety to enter or cross a road without checking for traffic.

Even though they require a driver to yield to a pedestrian (but often not a cyclist), their laws recognize the physical reality that it only works when drivers are given time to yield.